<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Thawing the Past by lilyviolin</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28291671">Thawing the Past</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilyviolin/pseuds/lilyviolin'>lilyviolin</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Frozen (Disney Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-11 00:09:05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,440</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28291671</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilyviolin/pseuds/lilyviolin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When Anna is invited to the coronation of King Caleb of the Southern Isles, Elsa offers to go in her place since Anna is busy preparing for her wedding. While there, Elsa is unexpectedly led to Prince Hans.</p><p>Takes place after Frozen II, generally following what is seen in canon.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Elsa/Hans (Disney)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>24</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElizaDarling/gifts">ElizaDarling</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This gift was written for ElizaDarling as a part of the Helsa server's Secret Santa event. It is also my first time writing Helsa, so I hope that you all enjoy it!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Elsa smiled, feeling the rustle of Gale’s leaves through her hair as she dismounted from the Nokk after an adventurous day riding through the nearby waters and seeing new sights from the backs of the Earth Giants. She headed back to the camp, where she knew Honeymaren would be waiting for her.<br/>	“So, how was your day?” Honeymaren asked as Elsa approached the fire that had been made. Bruni suddenly appeared on a nearby log and hopped onto Elsa’s shoulder as she arrived, seeming to have missed her attention during the day.<br/>	“It was great!” Elsa said. “The giants finally took me further west, so I got a better glimpse of some towns on the outskirts of Arendelle. It’s crazy to think of just how much is beyond the castle and even this forest, no wonder I always felt so overwhelmed and unsure of myself ruling as queen.”<br/>	“I get it,” Honeymaren said. “Preparing to be one of the Northuldra leaders someday is hard work for me. You’re lucky that you’ve got a sister who was willing to take your place. Although of course you’re busy here, tending to the spirits and all.”<br/>	“Yes, you’re right,” Elsa sighed contentedly. Truth was, she definitely wasn’t that busy caring for the spirits. Of course, she had been at first, since the spirits and the Northuldra had been distant for years and needed to mend the rift that had grown between them. Much like the rift that Elsa had wedged between herself and Anna back when they were children. But thankfully, restoring the harmony in the forest had been a bit easier than she expected, given that healing the relationship between the Arendellians and the Northuldra was proving to take more time.<br/>Elsa felt a lot freer than she ever had in her entire life. Even though she had spent nearly every waking moment preparing to be queen, it wasn’t the destiny she had chosen for herself. She may have been given her powers by nature, but the ability to use them on her own accord and unite people with magic had felt like the perfect decision for her to make.<br/>	She was also happy that Anna had found a place for herself in Arendelle, too. While Anna had always been a wonderful princess for the people of Arendelle, Elsa knew that she had struggled with knowing if that was enough for her. It had always been expected that Anna would marry into another kingdom, even though she had been dating Kristoff and was very happy in Arendelle. Giving her the opportunity to rule as queen allowed her to solidify her place in Arendelle and truly feel as if she belonged there, not only in the eyes of the people but in those of neighboring kingdoms.<br/>	However, Elsa knew all too well the struggles of being a ruler. She had been susceptible to overworking herself with the many tasks that were set out for her, and while Anna had such a carefree spirit, she was afraid that the same might happen to her. She knew that Anna loved Arendelle deeply, but she wanted Anna’s life to still be as filled with joy as the last four years had been.<br/>	So, it came as no surprise to Elsa when a letter arrived from Arendelle the next day.</p><p> </p><p>	This time, the letter was from Kristoff. Anna was dealing with a lot of royal duties, not to mention preparing for their upcoming wedding, and he could tell that she was overworked, although she wouldn’t admit it. She had seemed particularly stressed in the last couple days, but he did not know exactly why. He decided to write to Elsa without Anna knowing because if she did know, she would insist that she was fine as she didn’t want to disrupt Elsa from her responsibilities in the forest.<br/>	Elsa chuckled as she folded the letter and slipped it back in the envelope. She couldn’t help but remember her days as Queen, when she always claimed to be fine and Anna insisted on helping her anyway. It didn’t surprise her in the slightest that Anna was now going through this same situation.<br/>	After tidying up her tent and saying goodbye to Honeymaren and the others, Elsa mounted the Nokk and made her way to Arendelle. A few minutes later, she was arriving on the shores and making her way up to the castle.<br/>	“Your Majesty!” Gerda sputtered as Elsa strode in. “We weren’t expecting you!”<br/>	“That’s alright, Gerda,” Elsa replied casually, “I’m here to check on Anna.” She continued down the hall until she reached the Queen’s study, where she knew Anna would be. She reached the door, giving a quick knock and slowly opening it.<br/>	When she walked in, Anna looked up from her desk stacked high with documents and immediately bolted from her seat. <br/>“Elsa!” she cried, running into her sister’s arms for a hug. “What-what are you doing here?” she sputtered.<br/>“I was told that you need some help around here,” Elsa smiled.<br/>“But-how? I didn’t send any letter. I would never want to keep you from your duties in the Forest!”<br/>“Anna, it’s alright. I’m not that busy in the forest. And besides, it’s been a little while since I’ve visited. I’m happy to spend some time with you.”<br/>Elsa glanced down at the desk. This was one part of her life in Arendelle that she didn’t look back on fondly. She sighed, picking up a letter that was on the corner of the table and examining the broken seal, which seemed familiar. I can’t believe I’m already losing track of the seals of neighboring kingdoms, Elsa mused to herself. Has it really been a year already?<br/>“Oh, Elsa, you don’t need to worry about it. I can take care of—”<br/>“Wait.” Elsa had already begun to unfold the letter. She knew it wasn’t completely her place to handle royal documents anymore, but for some reason she felt an urge to look at this one. As if there were something inside that she needed to know.<br/>The House of Westergaard requests the presence of Her Majesty, Queen Anna of Arendelle, at the coronation ceremony of King Caleb of the Southern Isles.<br/>Anna had begun pacing awkwardly around the room, while Elsa held the letter trying to process all of this new information.<br/>The King of the Southern Isles had passed? How long ago? Arendelle and the Southern Isles had remained on good terms despite the case of Prince Hans at her own coronation, and Prince Lars had even come to Anna’s coronation a few months ago as a representative for his kingdom. There had been no mention of the former King’s health or any indication that Prince-now King- Caleb would be stepping into power so soon.<br/>“When did you receive this, Anna?” Elsa asked softly, setting the letter down on the table so as not to crumple it in her confusion.<br/>“A few days ago,” Anna said, stopping in her tracks.<br/>A few days ago, … that’s when Kristoff said Anna had started acting more stressed.<br/>“How are you feeling about it?” Elsa asked, trying to remain calm. She knew exactly why Anna was on edge about this, but apparently Anna had been trying to hide those feelings.<br/>“I…” Anna began uncertainly, then took a deep breath. Suddenly, it all came spilling out. “I know we’re on good terms with the Southern Isles and Prince Lars attended my coronation and I haven’t seen or heard anything of Hans in the last four years, but I’m just worried about going there and being reminded of everything, or even seeing Hans since I have no idea what his punishment actually was. I’d have to be gone for over a week, too, and I still need to finalize the winter trade routes and finish planning the wedding reception, not to mention the council meeting that I have tomorrow…”<br/>	Anna sat back down at the desk, placing her head down on the table. “How did you manage all of these responsibilities, Elsa? Most of the time I have everything under control, but lately there just seems to be so much to do. And this invitation was just the tip of the iceberg.”<br/>Hearing all of this from Anna made Elsa’s heart break. She knelt on the floor beside her sister. “Anna, I need to apologize. A part of me will always feel selfish for leaving for the Enchanted Forest and placing all of this responsibility on you. The duties of being Queen were difficult for me, as well, but the best way for me to manage all of it was that I had you.<br/>“You would attend the council meetings with me, help me come up with fair and wise decisions, and even covered a few ceremonial duties for me every now and then. Your dedication to the responsibilities of being my right hand, along with your devoted love for the people, is why I knew that you would make a perfect queen. But I never meant for you to do it all alone.”<br/>Elsa was patting Anna’s back now, inviting her into a warm embrace. Anna began sobbing into Elsa’s shoulder, finally able to let out all of the stress that had been burdening her behind closed doors.<br/>“I am always here for you, just like you have always been for me. The forest is doing just fine, they can handle me being gone whenever you need me. You have a wedding to prepare, you don’t have to worry about Caleb’s coronation.”<br/>“But Elsa,” Anna started, “it would be terribly rude not to attend!”<br/>“Anna,” Elsa replied, stroking her sister’s ginger locks, “you don’t have to attend. I will.”<br/>“What?” Anna straightened for a moment in surprise. “But Elsa, Hans was even worse to you than he was to me! And I know you said you aren’t always needed in the forest but something could always happen—”<br/>“Anna, the forest will be just fine, I mean it. You have a wedding to prepare for, and your own plans and happiness should be put first. Besides, it’s very common for someone to attend in place of the reigning monarch as a representative, just as Lars did at your coronation.”<br/>“I know, but… are you going to be okay?” Anna asked. “With possibly seeing Hans, I mean.”<br/>Truth be told, Elsa had been terribly hurt by Hans as well, as he misled her to believe that Anna was dead at a moment when everything else in the world had been lost to her. She hadn’t been able to forgive him for any of his actions, but that didn’t mean that she couldn’t attend his brother’s coronation. She knew Anna would normally have the strength to go, but she also knew that Anna didn’t deserve to be faced with that heartbreak again, not after she finally wasn’t alone anymore and was instead surrounded by people who loved her. <br/>	Elsa nodded and squeezed Anna’s arm. “I’ll be alright Anna, I promise.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It had been a long and winding day. Elsa was grateful to be able to slip out of the ballroom mostly unnoticed, with the simple excuse that she needed some fresh air. Truthfully, it gave her some time to reflect on all the events that had taken place since she arrived.<br/>	While a ship had left a week ago with her luggage and guards in tow, Elsa herself had set out on Nokk the day before the ceremony. She wanted to spend as little time in the Southern Isles as possible, and besides, she felt safer on Nokk than she did on a ship.<br/>	When she arrived in the Southern Isles, she was met by four eager princes with questioning eyes. They were not expecting her to arrive on the back of a water horse, but nevertheless they welcomed her and led her to the stables. She insisted that Nokk didn’t need one as he would go back in the water, but they didn’t listen. She then saw the face of the man that she wanted to forget, to have nothing to do with ever again.<br/>	Hans was a short distance away, cleaning out one of the stables. One of his brothers called out, “Hey Hansy!” and when he turned, Elsa thought the look of pure horror on his face must have been identical to hers.<br/>	“Better bow down and show some respect,” one of the identical twin brothers sneered, shoving Hans forward to meet Elsa’s eyes.<br/>	Elsa was taken aback to see that Hans was caked in manure and dirt, some of it smeared across his left cheek. He looked worn and exhausted, nearly collapsing when his brother kicked him to make him walk faster.<br/>	“Your Majesty,” Hans stumbled, leaning forward to bow. Elsa stepped back, anxious about his sudden proximity.<br/>	“Thank you,” she mumbled, trying to make herself appear as confident and unshaken as possible.<br/>	“You had some nerve turning down her sister, Hansy. Now Anna’s the queen of Arendelle!” the other twin snickered.<br/>	Hans looked back at Elsa, seeming to look for confirmation in his brother’s claim. Elsa, however, was quite peeved at the entire situation and just wanted to leave as soon as she could.<br/>	“My horse does not need a stable; in fact, he has already left,” Elsa stated plainly, then turned to face the brothers. “Thank you for the warm welcome. Now may I please be shown to my room?”<br/>	“Yes of course, Your Majesty,” a different brother replied.<br/>	At the end of the day, once Elsa was finally settled in her guest bedroom, she thought back about everything she had witnessed. Hans’ brothers seemed…. unexpectedly hostile. For everything she had heard about the Southern Isles, Hans had appeared to be an isolated case. Of course, he deserved to be humiliated after attempted regicide and emotionally manipulating Anna, Elsa knew that better than anyone else, but she didn’t expect his own family to torture him this much…and why did they care so much about having her cross paths with him again? They should know better than anyone that her history with him was more than unpleasant.<br/>	This started to make her wonder if there was more to Hans’ plot to rule Arendelle than met the eye. Were his brothers only this mean to him after he’d returned from her coronation, or had they always been like this? They certainly hadn’t been as polite to her as she would expect from other royalty. Was he unhappy in the Southern Isles? Had part of his plan simply been to get away?<br/>	Elsa, what are you thinking?! She scolded herself, wondering why any doubts were going through her head. But they still kept coming. Perhaps it was all her fault that he was being treated so harshly, since she had decided to send him back to the Southern Isles and face consequences there. He had been utterly awful, that much was clear, but she didn’t like seeing anyone being teased or constantly receiving harsh treatment. <br/>Besides, it had been four years. Having his royal titles stripped and spending his days shoveling manure seemed like a worthy punishment, but that didn’t mean that Hans’ brothers should be constantly nagging him. In fact, Elsa would have expected the opposite to happen, for them to completely erase him from their lives as much as possible, like she and Anna had done when they had discovered the truth about their grandfather.<br/>It was getting late, she realized, and tomorrow would be busy. She decided that it would be best to ignore all the thoughts that were swirling through her head. She was probably overthinking anyway.<br/>Hopefully she would be able to enjoy the coronation festivities tomorrow, and not have to catch sight of him again.</p><p> </p><p>“Presenting Elsa, Guardian of the Enchanted Forest and Former Queen of Arendelle!”<br/>	Elsa entered the ballroom and bowed gracefully in front of the newly crowned King Caleb. She could feel his eyes crawling down her skin, perhaps in repulse of the state she had arrived in the day before and how she had chosen to present herself now.<br/>Elsa had chosen a dress similar to the one she had worn for the first Christmas she spent with Anna after the gates were opened, with a few notable differences. It was a deep red instead of blue, and there was no cape since she wanted to remain inconspicuous. This dress had the symbols of the spirits on it instead of generic rhinestones, and it didn’t cover up her feet so as to show off her glittering red heels.<br/>Most of the women in attendance had worn clothing that was either native to the Southern Isles or from their own lands. The traditional styles of Arendelle were Anna’s clothing of choice anyway, but Elsa liked to design her own outfits and was no longer concerned about what others might think of her appearance.<br/>She certainly was a spectacle in the midst of so many power-hungry royals. That’s one thing she knew for sure about them now. During the ball, several princes from the Southern Isles and other neighboring countries wanted to know more about her and what she was doing in the forest. But by far the most popular question of the day had been this: why did she step down from being Queen of Arendelle? These men all thought that being able to rule was the greatest thing one could strive for, and they couldn’t imagine ever wanting to give it up.<br/>The other thing that everyone was curious about was Elsa’s magic. Now that she had learned to master her powers, she rarely put them on display to the public. Of course, that didn’t quell people’s inquiries, and she was always asked to create a flurry of snow here, a patch of ice there. Fortunately, she was able to politely decline and tell them that it wouldn’t be proper for her to be using magic at another royal’s coronation. <br/>It was tiring to listen to people’s requests all the time, especially when she wanted to remain discreet, but for some reason her very presence seemed to attract people. Eventually, she’d had enough and was simply overwhelmed from all the unwanted attention. Now here she was, outside the castle breathing in the air of the outdoors. It wasn’t nearly as fresh as the air in the Enchanted Forest, but it was definitely an improvement from the overcrowded and stuffy castle.<br/>She suddenly felt a familiar rush of wind brush past her. Was that…Gale? It couldn’t be, not all the way out here. But she knew that somehow, it was. The spirit beckoned her to follow it, and she figured she had no reason not to. Of course, she could decide to go back to the celebration, but that was something she knew she didn’t want.<br/>Gale led her around the castle towards the stables and back entrance, where she had been before. Elsa wondered why. Had Anna sent Nokk to bring her home early? Was there a letter from the Northuldra?<br/>Gale didn’t stop however; the spirit kept moving until it began to hover in place by the outside of a small hut. Elsa reluctantly inched closer and peeked through a crack in the door.<br/>There, sleeping in the corner of the small hut, was Hans.<br/>Why was he sleeping out here? Or, why did Gale lead her here? In the past Gale had only brought Elsa to places when something was wrong or the scenario required her immediate attention. Elsa was so baffled that without thinking she hissed at Gale, “why did you bring me here?”<br/>Hans stirred in his sleep, acting like he had suddenly been disturbed. Elsa thought it would be best to go and started to walk away, but Gale kept pushing against her to go back.<br/>“Stop it, Gale!” Elsa cried as she was forcefully lifted into the air. “Why is it so important to talk to the man who tried to ruin Anna’s life?”<br/>From behind her, she heard the creaking of a door opening, and realized that Hans must have woken up. She turned around and gave him a grim smile as Gale placed her back on her feet.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Your Majesty!” Hans stuttered as he bowed, a bewildered look on his face. “I apologize for my appearance; I wasn’t expecting you.”<br/>	Elsa was horrified that she was now alone with this man, and apparently the only way to make the situation less awkward was to try and talk to him.<br/>	“It is quite alright,” she responded as politely as she could, “I wasn’t expecting to be here either.”<br/>	“I could have sworn that I was dreaming when I thought I heard your voice,” Hans muttered, obviously still in a daze. “I started remembering… well, when I first met you and your sister.”<br/>	The memory came to Elsa in a flash. The two of them, alone, in a prison cell. Her asking him the same thing she had just asked Gale, why did you bring me here? His response then had been, I couldn’t just let them kill you. Oh, she knew better than to be so easily fooled this time.<br/>	The two of them were trapped in an uncomfortable silence, and Elsa desperately wanted to go back inside. But considering Gale’s reaction when she tried to leave before, she didn’t dare. The last thing she wanted to do was try to explain magical wind.<br/>	After a few minutes, Hans spoke up. “So… my brother Rudi said that Anna is the Queen of Arendelle now?”<br/>	Elsa sighed. Strange that he didn’t know that until yesterday. “Yes, her coronation was last July. Your brother Lars attended; I’m surprised you weren’t aware of that.”<br/>	Hans rubbed his arms and replied with a hint of disgust in his voice. “Well, that’s because my brothers don’t care about me unless they have a chance to embarrass me further. Which is just about every day. That’s how it’s always been, and it’s only gotten worse since Father’s unexpected passing.”<br/>	“I am terribly sorry for your loss,” Elsa said, the words escaping from her mouth mindlessly. She never expected to offer condolences to Hans, but then again, he was a human at the very least. And it appeared that she was right about his brothers being vicious.<br/>	“Thank you,” Hans replied. “How is Anna, by the way?”<br/>	“She is doing just fine. She’s an excellent queen and she is getting married this winter.”<br/>	“I’m glad to hear it,” Hans said with a small smile.<br/>	Elsa was beyond confused at this point. “Why are you asking so many questions about Anna?” she queried, wanting to keep her suspicions undercover but somewhat failing to do so.<br/>	“I just…” Hans started, paused, and started again. “Listen Elsa, I know you won’t believe me, but I feel awful about what I did to her before. And you. I…made fun of Anna for being desperate to fall in love, but I was just as desperate to get out of here. I believed the only way was to act as my brothers would; after all it worked for them so why wouldn’t it work for me?” He shook his head and gave a pitiful laugh. <br/>“I know, it all sounds like one big excuse. And the two of you will never forgive me; you shouldn’t. But Anna… was, well the closest thing I had to love, really. After my mother, and Lars maybe. I knew the kiss wouldn’t work, so what was the point in even trying?” He sighed. “Well, let’s just say I regret my decisions and I wanted you to know that. I’m so sorry, Elsa.” He rubbed his neck and began to pace in a small circle.<br/>Elsa stood there, speechless. She really wasn’t expecting that. She knew he was right, of course. She and Anna couldn’t forgive him for what he had done. He never should have stooped to his brothers’ level, and she didn’t owe him anything.<br/>But she felt something tugging at her heart, much like how Gale had literally tugged her here to see him. He was clearly isolated from his own family, similar to how she had been isolated from hers growing up. However, she had chosen to distance herself out of fear; her sister and parents never failed to express just how much they loved her, even if she had a hard time believing it. Hans, on the other hand, was treated cruelly for no reason. Anna had mentioned something about some of his older brothers ignoring him, but she had no idea just how bad his upbringing actually was.<br/>Before acknowledging that, however, she still had more questions that she wanted answered. “What exactly happened to your father? If it’s alright for me to know,” Elsa asked carefully.<br/>Hans looked a little disappointed that she was moving on from his apology, but nevertheless he responded. “No one has really bothered to tell me. My father was old, so perhaps they knew for a while and waited to announce anything. But I’m not surprised that Caleb’s coronation happened so soon after; it was no secret that he was rather eager to assume the throne.”<br/>Elsa thought back to all the earlier events of that day. While Caleb’s ceremony had been similar to hers in that it was the same formality, there had been several notable differences. For one, the attendance had been considerably larger, even though the Southern Isles was a smaller and less prominent kingdom than Arendelle. For another, Caleb had a pompous, confident air to him that Elsa hadn’t found in herself. She knew that a ruler was supposed to appear poised and confident, but on her coronation day she was filled with dread and anxiety, at a loss as to how she was supposed to run a kingdom when she thought there was no one by her side.<br/>It couldn’t be more obvious how obsessed all the Westergaards were with power, not only Hans. Elsa could also relate to him wanting to leave his home and start out fresh somewhere new. She never fully realized it until last year, but once she had found the Enchanted Forest, she knew that was exactly where she belonged. She loved Arendelle too, and never once felt trapped there, but she had always had her family to support her. Hans did not.<br/>“Hans,” she began, “what you did to my sister and I was unforgiveable, as you said yourself. But I think I can understand you a little better now than I could before.”</p><p> </p><p>	A few months had passed since Elsa’s brief visit to the Southern Isles, and now she was back in the Enchanted Forest preparing to head to Arendelle since Anna’s wedding was happening very soon.<br/>	She felt a whoosh of air as Gale flew past her again, dropping a letter into her waiting hands. This time, it was from Hans. The two had been writing to each other ever since they had crossed paths again.<br/>	Elsa still couldn’t fully understand why Gale had been so persistent in leading her to Hans. She also wasn’t sure why she had bothered to keep in touch with him. She didn’t trust him, and she struggled to know how legitimate any of his claims were. But what she had seen herself matched his story, and she knew that complete isolation was excruciating, something that she wouldn’t even wish on him, her worst enemy.<br/>	Writing letters was completely harmless. Hans’ brothers would never know, and she was in an area he had never been to, far enough away for her to feel safe. This way, he had someone to talk to, someone who would listen.<br/>	She had mostly told him about her daily adventures in the forest. At first, she wasn’t sure how he would react to magical spirits, but he seemed amused at first and eventually asked to hear more. She thought Bruni would be his favorite spirit. The little salamander was adorable and mischievous; in some ways Hans was, too. Elsa knew that Nokk would try to drown him, but the thought made her almost wish that someday she could witness it. It certainly would be hilarious, at least for her.<br/>	Hans didn’t have nearly as much to say as Elsa did, since his days almost solely consisted of cleaning horse manure and other undignified tasks. He usually told her about his childhood: either a few positive memories he had with his brothers or stories about his brothers that he had heard over the years. He also had written a little about his feelings, as if he were either trying to make a better sense of why he had acted the way he did four and a half years ago, or understand his supposed change of heart since then.<br/>	Elsa had not mentioned anything about her feelings to him, of course. She had always been a quiet person, even before her isolation, and the only one she felt comfortable opening up to was Anna. She had already felt strange enough trying to explain to Anna after the coronation that she would be allowing Hans to write to her, and while Anna was more than a bit confused and upset at first, they were able to talk it out together and come to a better understanding of why.<br/>	Ever since their journey to the Enchanted Forest a year prior, one of their primary goals had been to reunite the Arendellians and the Northuldra, since the two people were always meant to be united. While progress was slowly being made, it was proving to be a long and strenuous process.<br/>	Of course, both sisters knew exactly the reason. It would have been impossible for the two groups of people to come together in perfect harmony after thirty-four years of hatred and hostility towards each other. The Arendellians were struggling to come to terms with the fact that their king had been at fault for the attacks, which had subsequently led to their rooted prejudice and bold claims to harm any Northuldra that dared set foot in their kingdom. The Northuldra always knew they had been innocent, and they were hurt by the terrible threats and accusations that had been made towards them. They also had to rebuild their trust in the spirits, so their interest in restoring bonds with Arendelle were subsequently placed on hold.<br/>	The revelation that Queen Iduna of Arendelle had been a native-born Northuldra was news that both groups of people had a difficult time accepting. Most Arendellians had appeared to feel guilty immediately at the thought that their wicked claims had unknowingly been against their queen. A smaller minority of people believed that the royal bloodline had been “soiled” and therefore wanted a new ruler, but Elsa and Anna knew that there wasn’t any real threat to them. The Northuldra had been shocked not only that the young orphaned girl had escaped, but especially that she had made a life for herself in Arendelle and ended up marrying the king! Under normal circumstances, leaving the Northuldra tribe could be seen as turning against your family. However, most of them had realized that Iduna had no choice, and they were grateful that she was able to find someone to love and have a family with.<br/>	Watching these two groups of people slowly begin to overcome their differences and put an end to a years-long conflict had given the two sisters a unique perspective on what it meant to forgive someone and allow them a second chance. They, too, had been hurt by Hans and his brutal actions against them, and only time would tell if they could further fix their broken relationship. <br/>Anna was happy with Kristoff and did not have an interest in talking to Hans, but she knew that Elsa was free to make her own decisions for herself. She didn’t want to stop Elsa from writing to someone who was lonely, and while she asked for updates every so often, she wasn’t too concerned with Hans in general.<br/>Elsa felt like she was growing closer to Hans with every passing letter. She still had her guard up, but she was becoming more and more honest with him as time went on. She felt like someday they might see each other again, and perhaps something more would happen than simple conversation. For now, though, she was glad that the two of them had been able to understand each other, and she would keep looking forward to his sweet little letters.</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>